Communications

Mizen Head Footbridge voted Engineering Project of the Year

Mizen Head Footbridge voted Engineering Project of the Year

07 November 2011 at 00:00

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The Mizen Head Footbridge in Cork has been voted Engineering Project of the Year by the Irish public in an online vote as part of the second Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards in association with ESB.</p>
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Speaking at a special ceremony in the Four Seasons Hotel, Dublin, Noel O&#39;Keeffe, Cork County Council county engineer, who collected the award on behalf of RPS/Carillion Irishenco who were behind the project, said winning the award was welcome recognition for a collaborative initiative that overcame significant challenges before completion. &nbsp;&ldquo;This footbridge is the culmination of a lot of team work allied to what we believe is the best in engineering creativity. This is a great example of engineering excellence as a driver for economic recovery. It is a landmark structure in terms of using reinforced concrete as a construction material and is now a noteworthy facility for the locality as well as a valuable tourist attraction. &nbsp;That this has been acknowledged today by Engineers Ireland is extremely rewarding.&rdquo; &nbsp;</div>
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Congratulating the winning RPS/Carillion Irishenco team, John Power, Engineers Ireland Director General, also said there was a continuing need for Government to support excellence in engineering by properly regulating the sector: &ldquo;The Mizen Head Footbridge, and indeed all the projects highlighted in the awards, are the very essence of all that is good about engineering. &nbsp;But the ongoing High Court proceedings around the Priory Hall debacle are a reminder of what can happen when building standards and controls are not robust enough. &nbsp;Engineers Ireland believes that only Chartered Engineers within a regulated environment across all engineering disciplines should have the authority to sign off on any projects that have a public health and safety dimension.&rdquo; &nbsp;</div>
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&ldquo;Engineers Ireland has been in discussion with relevant Government departments on this issue for several years and is continuing to emphasise the need for progress. &nbsp;Regulation would also provide a return in terms of job creation but also as a signal to foreign investors that Ireland&rsquo;s standards of engineering are second to none internationally.&rdquo;</div>
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Mr Power continued: &ldquo;In truth, all the short-listed entries showcase all that is good about the engineering sector and the value, both economically and socially, that engineers create for this country.&rdquo;</div>
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The &lsquo;The Mizen Head Footbridge&rsquo; came from a final shortlist of projects that also included the &lsquo;Aeroneb Solo II project&rsquo;, &lsquo;Great Northern Haven&rsquo;, &lsquo;Trinity College Biomedical Sciences Institute&rsquo;, &lsquo;M50 PPP Scheme&rsquo;, &lsquo;The Peace Bridge, Derry&rsquo;, &lsquo;NUI Galway Engineering Building&rsquo; and the &lsquo;Road Services DBFO Package 2&rsquo;. &nbsp;The winner resulted from a process that allowed the public vote online to select what they considered to be the project that has most benefited Irish society.</div>
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Other award winners on the night included &nbsp;</div>
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Chartered Engineer of the Year, won by Louise Connolly from Innishannon, Co. Cork;</div>
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Engineering News Story of the Year, won by the Irish Examiner;</div>
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Best Paper or Presentation of the Year, &lsquo;The Design and Construction of the New Mizen Head Footbridge&rsquo; nominated by the Cork Region;</div>
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the new Engineering Education Award, won by Cork Institute of Technology;</div>
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the new Environmental Infrastructure Award, also won by RPS/Laois County Council</div>
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the Volunteer of the Year award, won by Michael Loughnane</div>
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and the ESB Award for Outstanding Contribution to Engineering won by Sean O&#39;Leary of Cork Institute of Technology</div>

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